Hydra Splattling: Analysis and Thoughts

[HappyBear801]

"AN ORIGINAL WEAPON!" cried all of the squidkids in delight. Indeed, how long as it been since we've seen one? Not since the Rapid Blaster Pro, I believe; quite a few weeks. But I digress, this is the Hydra Splattling! Like its other splattlings, this has a charge time while it spins to let out the bullets afterward. However, this one is the more heavy-hitting variant of this weapon class, sporting high-damage fire and the second-longest range out of any weapon in the game (behind the E-Liter 3K). However, it is countered by the weaknesses of having a very long charge time, huge ink tank consumption, and slow fire rate. It is also important to note that unlike the Heavy and Mini Splattlings, this one has a 3-bullet barrel instead of their 6.

Shop Description: The Hydra Splattling is a Splattling designed to really pressure your opponents' turf with a barrage of ink! However, a very long charge time and large ink consumption make it a liability in close quarters! The Splat Bomb sub weapon can be used to repel any opponents who get too close. The Echolocator allows you to advance forward without fear of being flanked!

Shop Cost: 11,600

Sub Weapon: Splat Bombs

Special Weapon: Echolocator

So, that having been said, please leave your thoughts on the Hydra Splattling.

 

[Joseph Staleknight]

I'm just going to re-post my thoughts from the "Hail Hydra" thread, slightly edited in light of some possible oversight:

Man, this thing. This thing. I mean, sure the range is second only to the E3K Scope (third if taking the Splatterscope into account) and the Damage can fell three 500-health megasquids, but the charge time to get to that point is so long! Of course, you could just go for one ring of charge but even then that's enough time for any enemy to sneak up on an unwary player. In the five times I used this weapon I only won once (though I did get close another time before the Bad Guys wiped my team out). For that matter, I've been playing it more for its sub and special than the weapon itself, so that's another issue I'd have to work on before I can say that I've gotten used to the weapon. After those five matches I ended up needing to detox with my Carbon Deco getup.

In my opinion, this weapon doesn't need a nerf; the charge time and mobility are the nerf.

 

[ultra777]

So far I'm loving this weapon. The range is amazing, especially with Echolocater. The sub is ok. The weapon itself looks really cool. Covers turf okayish. You only need a quarter charge to kill someone so you can survive if someone is right next to you. Some good abilities for it in my opinion are ink saver main, ink recovery up, anything that helps you with your special, run speed up. You can also make this weapon do 99.9 damage with some damage up so you can get the occasional 3 hit splat. This will probably easily take out the Rainmaker's shield. Liking it in Tower control so far but not in Turf War. You can be aggressive or defensive with this weapon. Splatlings vs Splatlings or Splatlings vs Charger can be annoying for both players. Splatlings vs Charger is pretty helpful for the Splatlings if you both see each other at the same time since the Splatling doesn't have a laser. A reason to use this over E-Liter is if you don't have pin perfect aim, you don't like the laser in the Chargers, or you just like shooters more. Well these are my thoughts on the Hydra Splatling. Hail Hydra!!!

 

[LMG]

I got to say, after months of seeing people bash on weapons with some huge drawbacks and some interesting strengths and still calling them good, this might be the first time I've actually found a weapon that I consider weak. The Hydra Splatling does have some good points, like the long barrage and the extra range, but to be honest those good points don't really benefit the weapon. During my tests the range buff over the Heavy Splatling didn't seem like much, and in practice it didn't really help me or the enemy get a distinct advantage over the opponent. The longer barrage doesn't really feel like a strong point either; aprox. 3 seconds of constant bullets seems nice on paper but I never found a moment where I felt like it was even there during my matches. Just to see how different it felt, after about 3-4 games with the Hydra Splatling I played 1 round with the Heavy Splatling and did all I could do with the Hydra and more; even the enemy Hydra Splatlings weren't much of a threat when they had the range advantage.

Overall, I think the Hydra Splatling could use a range buff to at least let it properly keep the enemy at bay. I'll give it another go when other maps are in the rotation, but for now I think I'll leave this one in the corner, unfortunately :(

 

[HappyBear801]

Liking it in Tower control so far but not in Turf War. You can be aggressive or defensive with this weapon.

Tower Control is probably the weakest mode for this weapon, simply because its sub and special don't compliment the mode as much. Turf War should be alright but not the best. However, I recommend trying it in Splat Zones and Rainmaker when those come around, because this will he a great weapon for both camping over an area (SZ) and breaking the RM's shield (RM).

Also, I'd like to rectify a bit of what I said above. Yes, the fire rate of this weapon is slower than the Heavy and Mini Splattlings, but only slightly. It still fires at a relatively good rate, comparable to the Jet Squelcher or even the Splattershot.

I got to say, after months of seeing people bash on weapons with some huge drawbacks and some interesting strengths and still calling them good, this might be the first time I've actually found a weapon that I consider weak. The Hydra Splatling does have some good points, like the long barrage and the extra range, but to be honest those good points don't really benefit the weapon. During my tests the range buff over the Heavy Splatling didn't seem like much, and in practice it didn't really help me or the enemy get a distinct advantage over the opponent. The longer barrage doesn't really feel like a strong point either; aprox. 3 seconds of constant bullets seems nice on paper but I never found a moment where I felt like it was even there during my matches. Just to see how different it felt, after about 3-4 games with the Hydra Splatling I played 1 round with the Heavy Splatling and did all I could do with the Hydra and more; even the enemy Hydra Splatlings weren't much of a threat when they had the range advantage.

Overall, I think the Hydra Splatling could use a range buff to at least let it properly keep the enemy at bay. I'll give it another go when other maps are in the rotation, but for now I think I'll leave this one in the corner, unfortunately :(

Why would it need a range buff? It's only second to the E-Liter 3K in having the longest range in the game. It's range should be plenty enough. Now, the charge time could probably be decreased a little, but it can always be partially charged and still get a kill or two out of it (when aimed right of course).

 

[IsmaR]

I'm absolutely enamored with the weapon. Got back up to S after falling recently, and even got a decent way to S+ (ended at 59)

Like with all Splatlings, the key is both maneuvering (knowing when to get in, get out, push forward, etc.) and compensating for the usually substantial drain on your ink supply. I ran a few experimental sets, trying to find the balance between Speed and Ink Savers, and wound up focusing on Ink Recovery Up as well by the end.

The sub/special combo is already among one of the my favorites, having put some time in with vanilla Dual Squelcher and N-ZAPP 85. Splat Bombs run a lot of risk in the sense that they don't give you an immediate option for close range, but they're great for drawing foes out for both teammates to pick them off, and giving you a moment to either retreat or charge up a short burst (only ever do a full charge if I'm at a range, similar to most Chargers). My favorite moment was in Tower Control, with the entire team having Bubbler while closing in on our goal, I charged up a full blast, and kept repeatedly shooting them off over and over.

Can't wait for the Custom Hydra. + will be a terror on its own, much less being paired up with this baby.

 

[Dreamy Luigi]

Very weak weapon, Heavy Splatling does what it does far better and is more versatile. Little mobility and the fact Splatterscope outranges it with the horrendous charge time is pretty baffling. The kit isn't amazing and there are better weapons with Echo I would run on a team. The weapon doesn't do anything to the best and it's not too versatile so unfortunately this was very overhyped.

 

[SkyBlue]

It will be a long road of hardships before I ever feel competent with this weapon, but I absolutely love it! Though hammerhead bridge is probably one of, if not the worst map for this weapon. Too many things that block your shots, grates, and then little maneuverability which the weapon already is lacking in.

It's charge rate isn't as slow as I'd thought it'd be. Only really feels slow when the enemy is in close and I'm trying to either escape or kill them. It's sustained fire rate was disorienting at first, I kept thinking it'd end but nope, it kept on shooting lol

One of the things I like a lot about it though, it's uncharged shot, when you just press the fire button once, leaves a pretty good blot of ink on the ground. Better than what I recall the H-splatling doing. (for attempted escape purposes and, It's actually good for riding the tower.)

The range is amazing, longer reach than jet squelcher, and only outclassed by chargers and e-liters. This really is the e-liter of the splatlings. Which I love because I don't have what it takes to aim well with chargers, but the hydra, it just keeps firing and gives me the capability to just adjust my aim. Watch out chargers, I'm coming for you now c:<

 

[ShinyTogetic]

I feel that this weapon doesn't need the use of due to it's slightly higher than e-liter but still crappy mobility (opening gambit doesn't help either)
but since it fire duration lasts longer (and eats more ink) than it's brethren and or will be an instant main on this weapon
You pretty much have to treat it like a charger hybrid-thing since you won't be moving a lot... (correct me if i'm wrong about this...)

 

[Airi]

I've held the Heavy Splatling has my second main for a fairly long time now so I was very excited for the Hydra Splatling to be released. I can say that the Hydra is not all that it was hyped up to be. I would certainly not call this thing a 'beast' like I've heard some players using. It is powerful but it does have its drawbacks - like every weapon does. I'm not saying that I hate it. Quite the opposite actually! I'm very fond of the Hydra and will probably pick it up as a third main.

The Hydra's weakness is in its charge time. It has a fairly lengthy charge time that can easily put the player in a sticky situation if they're not paying attention. Players need to be paying attention and treading carefully. It's very good for defensive killing because of the range and its power. This weapon is definitely the most defensive of the Splatling class and you have to play with a defensive mindset. You can't just charge straight into battle with the Hydra. You're asking to get killed by doing that.

The Hydra can shoot about three full charged shots before your ink tank runs low. So some Ink Savers are probably definitely a must when you use this weapon. So far - from my experience - this weapon is really useful in Splat Zones and in Turf Wars. Splat Zones, you can either cover defense or cover turf from afar. I preferred to play a defensive killer when I used it tonight. I haven't used it on Tower Control or Rainmaker. I can't imagine it would be good for Tower Control though due to its charge time - speaking as a Heavy Splatling who shoots and defends from the tower. I think it could be very useful for Rainmaker though depending on the stages.

Overall, I think the Hydra was hyped up a bit too much but I still love it! It's a fun weapon to use and I'm definitely going to keep practicing with it and getting better! I love the new weapon and I'm super looking forward to the Custom. Bubbler on this lovely thing is going to awesome~

 

[ultra777]

Tower Control is probably the weakest mode for this weapon, simply because its sub and special don't compliment the mode as much. Turf War should be alright but not the best. However, I recommend trying it in Splat Zones and Rainmaker when those come around, because this will he a great weapon for both camping over an area (SZ) and breaking the RM's shield (RM).

The reason why I think it's good on Tower Control is because you can attack the Tower without anyone being able to reach you except the other weapons with a lot of range. Your probably right about Echolocater not being that good in Tower but Splat Bombs can be pretty good on the tower itself.

 

[Of Moose & Men]

It's kind of funny seeing everyone write off them not playing into the Hydra's insane learning curve as "this weapon sucks and was over hyped".

This is most certainly not a weapon you can just pick up and automatically win with. It is not a weapon that can run around the map doing as it pleases like the Tentatek or .96 Gal. You absolutely have to play this behemoth the way it was meant to. The charge time is atrocious, yes, but you should almost never, and I do mean never, be fully charging the Hydra. If you do, you're wasting your time and ink. This is by far the most defensive/supportive weapon in the game, bar maybe the ELiter 3K. You should be playing it as such. Much like the Heavy Splatling, you should be in the back of the pack, shooting from a far and paying attention to your surroundings. If you do that, and do it well, you will see just how much of a behemoth the Hydra is.

It is easily the best Splatling in the game, its sub and special combo is magnificent for it, the range is incredible, it has insane power, no real need to wear any , and has an amazing fire rate. If you think that the Hydra is just "okay" I've gotta disagree with you.

I'm running a fun set right now:

It has been working marvelously. The ink consumption was dropped so much it's insane. I'm able to shoot off 5 "1st ring" charges (again don't fully charge the Hydra) which is more than enough. I may change the head gear soon for something else, possibly the , but I honestly feel great with this gear right now.

 

[redacteddd]

welcome to weapon balance, nerds

 

[SquiliamTentacles]

I love this thing. The charge, although long, allows you to shoot for a long time. The splat power is phenomenal, it feels like a Jet Squelcher on steroids. The mobility isn't as bad as I thought it was, and it can be somewhat alleviated with Run Speed Up. Echolocator is great, since your range and fire rate make you hard to escape. The fire rate is great too, as it allows you to adjust your aim unlike Chargers. Only major complaint is that the Splat Bombs are somewhat situational, but it feels great overall.

My set so far focuses half on saving ink and half on mobility while shooting.

18K Aviators l
l
l

Last-Ditch Effort is not very good in ranked, so you would probably want to replace it there.

 

[deepseadiva]

welcome to weapon balance, nerds

Just shorten the charge time, make it kill with less shots, give it more range, and change the special to Inzooka and then it'll be good.

 

[LMG]

This is most certainly not a weapon you can just pick up and automatically win with. It is not a weapon that can run around the map doing as it pleases like the Tentatek or .96 Gal. You absolutely have to play this behemoth the way it was meant to. The charge time is atrocious, yes, but you should almost never, and I do mean never, be fully charging the Hydra. If you do, you're wasting your time and ink. This is by far the most defensive/supportive weapon in the game, bar maybe the ELiter 3K. You should be playing it as such. Much like the Heavy Splatling, you should be in the back of the pack, shooting from a far and paying attention to your surroundings. If you do that, and do it well, you will see just how much of a behemoth the Hydra is.

Since the whole point of this Splatling is "supreme firepower at the longest ranges", going for less than a half-full charge might not be the best thing, especially since you could be using the Heavy Splatling and have the same results. I'll try the weapon again on maps where I can make the most out of the range (Moray Towers, Bluefin Depot, etc.), but currently I didn't really feel like it was even there most of the time, and I usually am the Inkling in the back shooting from afar at the enemy, so range is where I'm decent at

Just shorten the charge time, make it kill with less shots, give it more range, and change the special to Inzooka and then it'll be good.

I think just a slight increase to the range might be enough, at least so it can clearly outshine the Heavy Splatling somewhere instead of being "slightly better"

If going into squidform still cancels your bursts and charge like it does for the Heavy and Mini Splatlings, it will be a GODSEND for sudden fast evasion.

It does, and it is. You can't really trust a Hydra Splatling to be defenseless at close range, but if he misses the first short burst he's as good as gone

 

[aceofscarabs]

If going into squidform still cancels your bursts and charge like it does for the Heavy and Mini Splatlings, it will be a GODSEND for sudden fast evasion.

 

[Mateiüsthesquidwarrior]

The Hydra is pretty awesome, tried it a couple times now. I don't see what

However, it is countered by the weaknesses of having a very long charge time, huge ink tank consumption, and slow fire rate.

The hydra is pretty awesome, tried it a couple times now. I don't see what you're saying about it having a slower fire rate though. Sure, it may technically be a little slower than the heavy splatling, but to me the difference feels pretty negligible at best.

As far is the other specs of the hydra go, I was definitely hoping it would have burst bombs (like the original E-Liter) for surprise close-range encounters, but splat bombs are alright. Echolocator is probably the best special for this weapon though!

Also, I love the sound it makes when fully charged:D

 

[Of Moose & Men]

Since the whole point of this Splatling is "supreme firepower at the longest ranges", going for less than a half-full charge might not be the best thing, especially since you could be using the Heavy Splatling and have the same results. I'll try the weapon again on maps where I can make the most out of the range (Moray Towers, Bluefin Depot, etc.), but currently I didn't really feel like it was even there most of the time, and I usually am the Inkling in the back shooting from afar at the enemy, so range is where I'm decent at

Charging to the "first ring" does not hinder your power or range at all. It hits as hard and as far as a fully charged shot. Just not as long of an amount of time.

 

[HappyBear801]

The Hydra is pretty awesome, tried it a couple times now. I don't see what


The hydra is pretty awesome, tried it a couple times now. I don't see what you're saying about it having a slower fire rate though. Sure, it may technically be a little slower than the heavy splatling, but to me the difference feels pretty negligible at best.

As far is the other specs of the hydra go, I was definitely hoping it would have burst bombs (like the original E-Liter) for surprise close-range encounters, but splat bombs are alright. Echolocator is probably the best special for this weapon though!

Also, I love the sound it makes when fully charged:D

I rectified what I said above; yes the fire rate is slower but only slightly.